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Brothers and Sisters:

The Governor of California has just gone public with his plan to address a $11.5 billion deficit in a budget that was agreed to after being late a painful 85 days. It is an indication of the dire straits in which we find ourselves and gives substance to the meeting we had with the Administration in which it was said that everyone would get hurt. Everyone should be ready for additional actions down range that will come our way as a means of balancing the budget on the backs of State employees. There will also be calls to make drastic cuts to ALL public safety departments, even CAL FIRE. This is not the first time these actions have been proposed and it will not be the last. As a union we have fought back proposals like these in the past. Our position is bolstered by having an experienced and knowledgeable bargaining team, excellent legal representation and a political and public policy team that is respected in Sacramento. We are ready for a fight; we must remain vigilant, focused and steadfast in the knowledge that our union is strong.

The Governor is proposing the following legislation sponsored by his Administration:

All employees paid through the general fund or special fund will:
• Have one day a month unpaid furlough for 19 months
• Eliminate two paid holiday (Lincoln and Columbus)
• Will not allow paid leave to count towards overtime
• Eliminate the holiday premium (not applied to CAL FIRE)
I did receive a personal phone call from Dave Gilb, director of the Department of Personnel Administration, yesterday providing me with advanced information. Mr. Gilb set an appointment to meet with me in person today but canceled at his request at the last minute and did not call back to arrange another meeting.
My response to Dave Gilb was not positive but pointed. It is to my thinking that this will only increase costs and cause chaos in an emergency response system where the alarm always has to be answered. The small savings these gimmicks will generate are nothing compared to the costs associated with their implementation. “You furlough someone only to pay someone behind them with overtime at 1 ½ times the costs.” We will answer as we always have through strength.

Stay proud, Stay strong and Stay UNION
Bob Wolf, President

 

We have been in almost constant contact with the Administration, the Legislature and the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) regarding not only the budget impacts to CAL FIRE and Local 2881, but the Executive Order that promises to enforce furloughs on February 1, 2008.

First of all, the budget negotiations continue. If there is success in the next couple weeks, it is entirely possible that the furlough issue will disappear. However, even if that does not occur, there is a caveat that “essential services” are not impacted. There is an internal process through Agency in which we fully expect CAL FIRE, rightly so, to be declared an essential service.

There has not been an economic crisis of this dimension, nationally, state and local, since the Crash of 1929.

We are focused on working with policymakers to guarantee that the cuts being made do not limit our ability to fulfill our mission. At the end of the day, California benefits from a reliable CAL FIRE.

Stay proud, Stay strong, Stay union

Bob Wolf, President
       
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NIOSH Issues Respirator Safety Alert
December 18, 2008 -- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) and the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) has issued a respirator user notice regarding Scott HUD Quick Disconnect Hoses.
ICC Rejects NAHB Residential Sprinkler Appeal
December 17, 2008 -- The appeals committee of the International Code Council (ICC) has voted unanimously to reject an appeal of recently approved residential sprinkler requirements filed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The requirements, slated for inclusion in the 2009 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC), follow affirmative votes last September in Minneapolis, where ICC’s Voting Governmental Members overwhelmingly supported Proposals RB64 and RB66 to require fire sprinklers in all new single and two-family dwellings and townhouses. The IRC is a model code that regulates new home construction in 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Fighting Fires, Fighting Cancer
December 11, 2008 -- This story is the third in a “Working to Death” series of articles that examine the health risks fire fighters face.
Remembering the Worcester Six: Nine Years Later
December 3, 2008 – Nine years ago today, six members of Worcester, MA Local 1009 –Paul Brotherton, Tim Jackson, Jerry Lucey, Jay Lyons, Joe McGuirk and Tom Spencer – died responding to the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire.
Iowa Fire Fighter Re-elected in Recount
November 24, 2008 – There were many close races in the 2008 elections, including the re-election campaign of Iowa State Senator Jeff Danielson (D), a Cedar Falls, IA Local 1366 fire fighter. A recount confirmed today that Danielson has defeated his challenger, Walt Rogers, by 22 votes. The recount results also confirm that Danielson will serve as president pro tem of the Iowa State Senate, the number-three leadership post in the state senate. “There is nothing better than having one of our own in a high position of influence,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “Danielson has fought hard for Iowa fire fighters and I know after today’s victory, he will continue to do so.”
Retired Montana Fire Fighter Elected as State House Speaker
November 21, 2008 -- When retired member of Harve, MT Local 601 Bob Bergren takes his position as Montana Speaker of the House on January 5, 2009, he will be the first IAFF member to hold the position of Speaker. IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger has long emphasized the importance of electing fire fighters to office. “In these uncertain economic times especially, we need to have political office holders who will work to protect fire fighters and public safety resources,” says Schaitberger. “There’s no better way than to elect our own.” Bergren says, "I am very humbled to be elected to this position."
Iowa Suit Aims to Stop Deceptive Charity Marketing Practices
November 17, 2008 -- An Arizona fundraising company used ex-felons to solicit donations on behalf of Iowa narcotics officers and families of missing children, then misled donors to believe the money would go to the organizations, according to a lawsuit filed by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Company telemarketers will no longer lead would-be donors to believe they are members of charitable organizations, such as the Firefighters Charitable Foundation of Farmingdale, New York.
Oklahoma Leader and Pioneer Dies
November 13, 2008 -- The IAFF regrets to report the death of Thomas Jefferson Riddle Jr. Riddle, 79, died November 12. A former president of Oklahoma City, OK Local 157 and the Professional Fire Fighters of Oklahoma (PFFO), Riddle will be remembered as a leader, mentor and labor-movement pioneer. IAFF 11th District Vice President Sandy McGhee remembers, “Tom Riddle taught me a long time ago that if you are a fire fighter in trouble, no matter what kind of trouble, he was your friend. “Thanks to Riddle, 77 IAFF locals in Oklahoma have collective bargaining,” says Rick Beams, president of the PFFO. “Since then, the PFFO has worked hard to ensure those bargaining agreements are honored. But we owe more than just our bargaining rights to Riddle. We have relied heavily on his direction over the years and we will be lost without him for a while.”
New Study Looks at Health Risks to Wildland Fire Fighters
November 12, 2008 -- The Institut de recherché Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) has released its findings concerning the exposures, health effects and recommended protection actions for wildland fire fighters. This major effort, led by Canadian researcher Dr. Claire Austin, addresses the complex and hazardous environment facing wildland fire fighters, including exposure to potentially toxic substances present in smoke from wildland fires and the resulting health risks to fire fighters. The study also includes documented, independent, health-based recommendations concerning the need for respiratory protection for wildland fire fighting.
Charges Expected in Fire at Deutsche Bank Tower
January 5, 2009 -- Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau has announced the results of the investigation into the August 18, 2007, fire at the Deutsche Bank building in which fire fighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino lost their lives. Three individuals and one company have been indicted for manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment in the deaths of the fire fighters.
Holiday Message From General President Schaitberger
NIOSH Releases Report on Baltimore LODD
December 17, 2008 -- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released its investigation report on the February 9, 2007, line-of-duty death of Baltimore City fire recruit and Baltimore Local 734 member Rachael Wilson. The Baltimore City Fire Department was charged with "intentionally" and "knowingly" violating safety rules resulting in "a substantial probability [of] death or serious physical harm" during the live fire training exercise that killed Wilson.
FHWA Rule Requires First Responders to Wear Reflective Vests
December 5, 2008 -- The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has reviewed the requirements of the American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests (ANSI/ISEA) and found that public safety vests meeting this standard are compatible with its requirements for night-time visibility. Effective November 24, 2008, all fire fighters, emergency medical personnel, law enforcement and other pubic safety workers operating in a federal highway right-of-way are required to wear high-visibility clothing that complies with Class II or III requirements of the American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear (ANSI/ISEA).
Political Action Pays Off in British Columbia Elections
December 3, 2008 -- IAFF locals across British Columbia are poised to reap the rewards of vastly improved relations with their city councils in the wake of extremely successful local political action campaigns conducted in conjunction with municipal elections held across the province November 15. In cities large and small, British Columbia fire fighters helped elect fire-friendly mayors and councillors in record numbers -- mayors and councillors who have a fresh education on fire fighter issues and who have in many cases made important commitments to IAFF affiliates on fire protection and other local matters.
IAFF and USFA Release Voice Radio Communications Guide
December 2, 2008 -- The IAFF and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) have released a new manual, Voice Radio Communications Guide for the Fire Service, that provides updated information on communications technology and discusses critical homeland security issues and concepts that did not exist when the original manual was first published in 1996.
  


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